DeeAnn Spicer, outstanding philosophy major, serves as an ambassador for her field

The professors at UMBC, specifically in the philosophy department, have been very encouraging and supportive of my goals. They have brought many opportunities to my attention and have provided the resources I needed along the way. Because of my professors, I was able to attend two summer institutes at UCSD and MIT for philosophy majors who plan on going to grad school. These institutes were invaluable.

As an exceptional philosophy student, DeeAnn Spicer has won several prizes in her field, including both recognition from UMBC and nationally competitive honors. Spicer received the Mary Akaras Book Scholarship Award in 2015 and the Evelyn Barker Book Prize from the philosophy department in 2015 and 2016. She won full admission and full funding to the UC San Diego Women in Philosophy Summer Program in 2014 and to the Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute (PIKSI) at MIT in 2015. She has also served as a PIKSI Ambassador since 2015, speaking to philosophy majors, undeclared students interested in the major, and philosophy clubs about the summer institute experience.

Spicer has achieved all of these honors, and maintained an impressive academic record, all while working full-time throughout her undergraduate years. Spicer grew up in Trinidad with her family from 1993 through 2001, and moved to Maryland as a high school student. After graduation she will participate in the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) Associate Program. IRT was designed to increase the number of minority students “pursuing advanced degrees for teaching, counseling and administrative careers so the pool of potential faculty members at both the K-12 and university levels will become more diverse.” Associates are selected through a rigorous application process and are offered extensive counseling and assistance in negotiating the graduate school application process. Spicer will apply for PhD programs in philosophy this fall.

Image: The Performing Arts and Humanities Building at night, where Spicer spent many late nights studying. Photos by Marlayna Demond ‘11 for UMBC.